Emergency Drinking Water: Sources of Water in the Outdoors

Although the human body can go for as long as a few weeks without food, we are comprised of more than sixty percent water and our bodies require a constant source of replenishment in order to function and survive. In the event that you find yourself cut off from both society and traditional sources of water, knowing where to look for sources of emergency drinking water in the outdoors will be an important way to keep your wits about you. The main sources of emergency drinking water in the outdoors come from the atmosphere, such as rain and dew, plants and groundwater.

Groundwater

If you are in an emergency situation where there is no source of water above ground, you might have to dig for it. Find the area in which the most lush plants are growing in ravine areas, then look around for the spot with moist soil on the surface and go to work. There is an art to locating groundwater quickly, and this is a skill worth practicing under controlled conditions for those who have an interest in survival techniques.

Rain

When you see the storm clouds gather, be prepared to gather every drop that you can in cooking pots, plastic tarps and any other vessel you can come up with. If you are in a situation where you will be isolated for many days and have the equipment, it is worth the time to add a system of catching rainwater that is runs off of your shelter as well. In a decent storm, it is really amazing how much water you can capture with a little ingenuity.

Snow and Ice

So long as you have a pot to cook in, nearby snow and ice can be melted in frigid zones for a consistent source of emergency drinking water. Fresh snow can take frustratingly large volumes to capture a necessary volume of water, but it is still provides a consistent source of moisture in some situations.

Dew

It may not be much, but you can wet your mouth when rise with the sun by gathering the morning dew off of leaves and stones.

Plants

So long as you know where to look, many plants and trees can be a source of emergency drinking water. Succulent plants, for instance, can provide much needed nourishment, and many plants draw clear water that you can access by cutting into the plant. I encountered vines that gushed water like a house when cut during the years before I learned to respect natures bounty until it is needed.

Solar Still

One of the most innovative sources for consistent emergency drinking water is the solar still. A solar still consists of a can resting a hole in the earth covered by a plastic tarp with a stone that weighs down the plastic towards the can. The heat of the sun draws moisture to the underside of the plastic, which runs down to be captured in the can. Ideally, a drinking tube will run from the outside down into the tube, and you can retrieve from one to two pints of pure emergency drinking water out of your solar still per day.

Sources:
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/water-1.php
http://dsc.discovery.com/survival/how-to-survive/water-sources.html
http://www.thesurvivalexpert.co.uk/FindingWaterSources.html